Nature's Way
by emmacrade24
Summary: Shikamaru is put in charge of a escort mission, but why does it require so many ninja and why is it so important? This mission seems to be more trouble than it's worth, or more so the person he has been put in charge of protecting is more trouble than he originally thought. Rated T just in case cause you never know. Hope you like it please Read and review!


**Hope you enjoy this was just dream I had weird huh? Any who please enjoy!**

**disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

"I'm sorry to keep you all cooped up in this room, Lady Katsumi will keep you company while I fetch some tea, I'm sure Lady Suri will show her face eventually." The plump woman known as Mother Tahra said in a strained, calm tone. She fanned a smile to cover her worry, and dashed out of the room. Shikamaru had been put in charge of a retrieval team. Seemed simple enough. Escort the Lady Suri to Konoha and then he and his parents would serve as her host family to keep her under protection for the timing being. But if it were that simple than Shikamaru knew it would be ranked an S mission, nor would it take Naruto, Sakura, Hinata, Kiba, Neji, Sai, Choji, and himself to escort her. No this probably would not be a simple mission. Troublesome.

Lady Suri, as Lady Tsunade explained, was born an Amhara. Amhara's are people who draw in chakra from their surroundings naturally. A steady flow of natural chakra in constantly being absorbed by an Amhara and expelled is a pure concentrated form of chakra. If the chakra isn't released then it will continue to build up inside the Amhara until it seeps out. This normally results in the Amhara being forcefully thrown into Sage Mode. But that rarely happens unless a chakra seal is involved or the Amhara is unable to consciously release the chakra. Being connected to natural chakra makes it easier for Amaharas to manipulate the elements if they are trained to do so, much like ninjas use jutsus, Amhara's are able to control the chakra in nature.

Amharas are normally sought out to be used as weapon so it was no surprise that the Atkasuki found out about Lady Suri because about a week ago the Hidden Leaf received and S.O.S. from the Light Monastery, where the Amhara lives, reporting that the Atkasuki had attempted to capture the Lady Suri, but she was able to keep them at bay ad eventually deterred them temporarily from continuing on to fight her and left. The troublesome thing is that the Hokage knew that that wasn't the end of it and that the Atkasuki would return for her. Which is why they were relocating her to a more secure place,in Konaha.

That was the plan anyway. It seems that they were having difficulty locating the Amhara at the moment. So to keep the team occupied while the servants of the monastery undoubtedly searched for the Lady Suri, Lady Katsumi was stuck with entertaining the group. She was a gorgeous girl no doubt, styled chestnut colored hair, thick red lips, and large green eyes. She couldn't be older than seventeen. She was shapely and her kimono didn't leave much to the imagination and Kiba thought she hung the moon, following her like a lost puppy. But she was too perfect, too sexy. Too troublesome.

Shikamaru sighed and leaned back against the couch closing his eyes tiredly. The trek up the mountain to the monastery was a beating, stairs upon stairs to climb the steep mountain side was beyond a drag. Most of his teammates had taken this opportunity to rest as well. Naruto was sprawled on the floor fast asleep. Shikamaru could here Sakura and Hinata quietly talking and the crunching of Choji eating something, probably chips of some sort. Kiba shamelessly flirted with Lady Katsumi and she did nothing to deter, him if anything she was encouraging it. Her giggling and shrill shrieks were growing more and more annoying. He wished Kiba would leave her alone so he could get some rest. But his silent pleads weren't heard and Shikamaru gave up on sleep. He sighed and reopened his eyes. Choji noticed his best friend's movement and offered him some chips, Shikamaru shook his head and stood up stretching his back.

"Lady Katsumi if you don't mind me asking, but why is it taking so long for Mother Tahra to find Lady Suri?" Katsumi smirked and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"No idea, Suri does this sometimes. She'll reappear soon though I assume." Lady Katsumi answered nonchalantly. Shikamaru frowned.

"What do you mean she does this sometimes? Does what? Hide? Is she afraid of leaving going to the Leaf Village so she's purposely avoiding the situation?" Katsumi's eyes sparked with anger suddenly and she stood up abruptly and got right into Shikamaru's face causing him to jump in shock.

"Suri isn't afraid of something as petty of leaving behind everything she's ever known! In fact it's quite the opposite, she can wait to leave! Suri is brave for leaving! She's protecting us by leaving so don't you dare say a word against her!" Katsumi's eyes still held fire but tears were pooling in around the edges. Jeez what a troublesome woman, getting all upset over nothing! She might be worse than Ino! He shouldn't have said anything. Shikamaru sighed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"That's not what I was implying at all. I was just trying to figure out where she is." The Nara boy explained. Katsumi's cheeks reddened a bit but her anger was still present.

"Well I don't know!" Katsumi snapped viciously. _Man this girl has some serious issues_, Shikamaru thought lazily.

"I know where she is." Called out a quiet voice from the doorway.

"Hn?" Shikamaru turned to towards the door and found a frail, small looking girl of maybe fifteen years old. Her short red hair stood out on her pale freckled skin and her demeanor was much like Hinata's timid and innocent. Her brown eyes darted around nervously to all the knew faces in the room, but fell to the floor when she saw Katsumi's angry expression.

"Aimi! We agreed with Suri to keep it a secret!" Katsumi hissed clenching her fists tightly. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, he didn't like the fact that these girls were keeping very important information away from them.

"I know, but she said she's be back by now, it's almost noon." The girl said worriedly. Katsumi scoffed and waved off Aimi's comment.

"She's Suri, she'll be fine!" Katsumi countered.

"Aimi is it?" Sakura interjected in a calm voice, "Where is Lady Suri?"

"None of your god damn business!" Katsumi yelled the same time Aimi answered,

"The town at the bottom of the mountain." Th brunette shot the red head a look that could kill before she hissed,

"Traitor." coldly and stormed out of the room leaving a sad Kiba and a hurt Aimi. Aimi sighed.

"I apologize she's a little over dramatic. But only because she is very protective of Suri. We're like sisters, we grew up with only each other." Aimi said softly. "And she tends to be at times, too protective of Suri even though she's only a year younger. When Suri was told a couple days ago that she would be leaving the monastery, possibly permanently, she planned to leave things finished. The Lady Suri has been restricted from many things in her life that many people see as normal major ones being she isn't allowed to speak with outsiders, so every time we have drifters passing through she is kept up hidden in her room. Mother says something about keeping her a secret from possible threats whenever we ask. Suri also isn't allowed to leave the monastery." Aimi smirked and shook her head. "These rules are all for her protection and she follows none of them. There's a small town at the bottom of this mountain and occasionally Suri will have Katsumi or myself cover for her and she will sneak out.

"What does she do in the town?" Sakura asked curiously.

"She does whatever the towns people ask of her. They know she has abilities but I don't know if they know she's an Amhara. But mostly it's simple things, like keeping the florist's flowers lush, or making sure the grocers food is unspoiled. Little things that make her feel like she's making a difference. Suri and Mother always fight about how Mother keeps her from fulfilling her duties in the world of helping those in need, but Mother says that she isn't ready. So Suri sneaks out every once in a while." Aimi frowned and balled her hands into fists. "Every one in this monastery has dedicated their lives to serving and protecting her and she has the gall to put herself in danger. But of course Kasumi sees nothing wrong with it." Aimi snorted and shook her had in distaste.

"So is that where Lady Suri is now?" Choji asked. Aimi nodded and Shikamaru grimaced, so they would have to climb down the mountain and drag her back up the mountain only to come back down. What a drag.

"Well if we leave now maybe we can find her before dinner!" Kiba announced with Akamaru barking a quick snip in agreement. The team began to ready themselves to track down the girl but Aimi gave them a disproving look but said nothing. As he gang continued to prepare the frown on Aimi's pale face deepened. Shikamaru sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. If there was something wrong why didn't the girl say anything. Troublesome.

"Is there something bothering you Lady Aimi?" Shikamaru asked slightly perturbed at her silence.

"Well it's just that Suri is apprehensive of strangers, and I don't think it's be a good idea for all of you to go. Maybe just one should go."

"I'll go!" Naruto exclaimed loudly.

"Cha! You'll scare the poor girl to death with all of your yellin you baka!" Sakura chided causing a sour look from Naruto.

"Ah Sakura-chan..." The blonde pouted.

"Why don't you go?" Aimi asked and looked expectantly at Shikamaru who lazily looked at her annoyed that he was being requested to retrieve the girl personally.

"Eh?" He muttered.

"Well it's just that you're quiet and not as overzealous as the other members of your group...no offense." Aimi finished embarrassed with her cheeks turning pink as she saw Naruto's hurt look.

"What about me? I'm not loud or overzealous." Neji questioned causing the young red head's cheeks to grow even redder. She averted her eyes to the floor.

"Um... Lady Suri is a sunshine and flowers kind of girl and um..well you seem more like storm clouds and grey skies." Aimi replied shyly. Neji scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. Kiba burst out laughing and his sides shook.

"Man she has you pegged!" The animal specialist continued laughing even with his teammates glaring daggers at him.

"But I am also a happy person." Sai said putting on his best attempt at reassuring smile but came out with a strained and forced look. Aimi gave a nervous laugh rubbed the side of her arm.

"Well I can see that you, uh are a happy person but I feel like this gentleman here would be the best choice." She said in a voice as sweetly as she could and Sai's 'happy face' slowly cracked back into his normal plain faced expression with dissapointment.

"So will you go?" Aimi asked returning the attention back to the shadow user. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and kept a bored facial expression on.

"I suppose I have no choice, Neji you are in charge until I return." Neji bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. And despite part of his mind telling him to send someone else to find the Amhara and sleep, he knew that he himself would produce the best results. Troublesome.

It didn't take Shikamaru long to track down Lady Suri, in fact she didn't seem to be at all worried that she would be found out. Shikamaru didn't know what the girl looked like but he knew instantly who she was the second he saw her. She stood out like a swan in a flock of crows. Most of the townspeople wore tattered and ragged clothing and had a disheveled look about them, but the Lady Suri wore a pristine white kimono with elaborate gold needle work on the hems and her light blonde hair was well kept falling neatly and straightly down her back and to her waist, shielding her face from his point of view. She had a petite figure, Shikamaru had been expecting a burly girl to be an Amhara considering all of the training they go through, but he should have known better than to assume. She was taller than Lady Aimi, and not as womanly as Lady Katsumi, she fell roughly in the middle of them.

Shikamaru stood a distance away watching the Amhara from his spot on a bench a couple stores own the block. Lady Suri was delicately touching the petals of some wilting roses on a flower stand and with every touch color would flood back into the flower and the stem would straighten up and reach towards the sky. Suri smiled to herself as she looked at her handiwork and moved onto the lilies, repeating the same process. Shikamaru pushed himself off of the bench and began to lazily walk closer. He noticed that at the tips of Lady Suri's fingers glowed in a soft blue tinge that Shikamaru automatically registered as chakra. But this chakra was different from the normal chakra, instead of the common blue of chakra, she was putting off a blue so light it almost seemed white. _This must be what purified natural chakra looks like._ Shikamaru mused to himself.

When he came with a few strides of the Amhara he called out in a monotone voice,

"You know the flowers will just die anyway." The girl curiously peered from behind the curtain of hair and pushed it back behind her ear. She gave a soft smile and nodded.

"Yes, but at least the florist will have a better chance at selling these now." Her voice was as delicate as she looked. Her complexion was a light peach tone and her nose was small and button like. She reminded a lot of Ino, the blonde hair and big blue eyes and all. But Ino was more top heavy than Lady Suri, and more loud, and bossy.

"I suppose." He responded without much interest and shoved his hands into his pockets, keeping his ever present bored expression.

"Well goodbye then." Suri gave a slight bow at the head and started walking off.

"Wait." Shikamaru called out striding a couple steps to catch up to her. The Amhara tensed up anxiously and turned around with an eyebrow quirked up questioningly.

"Yes?" She asked warily. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and gave her a weak smile.

"Uh, would you mind if I walked with you?" Lady Suri's cheeks tinged slightly pink, but other than that she gave a stoic look while scrutinizing the stranger in front of her. She glanced him over and when her eyes caught sight of the Leaf Villiage's insignia on his arm her deep blue eyes widened in recognition and she seemed to visibly relax. She ignored his question.

"You are a Leaf ninja." She stated, not asked. Shikamaru gave a nod, and she frowned, hugging her arms. Her eyes dropped to the ground.

"You're early." She said forlornly. Shikamaru again just nodded. He didn't like the look on her face, it the face of a defeated man. He had clearly remembered the Lady Aimi saying Suri was an amiable girl, but this girl seemed better suited for rainy days. Lady Suri sighed and looked down the road.

"I was going to help the old blacksmith. His roof caved in a coupe nights ago during this big storm, I was supposed to repair it or him." Shikamaru watched her as she spoke and she seemed to genuinely regret that she could't assist that man. Shikamaru sighed, _How troublesome, if we leave now she'll be in a bad mood the entire trip and we already have Neji and Sai being sour. _He looked up at the sky, it was a little past midday, they had time to go to the blacksmith's and help him for a little while before they needed to return. And in the end spending an afternoon to improve their four days journey would be worth it.

"You can still go. They told me to find you and bring you back, but they never said when exactly." Suri's face lit up and she bore a brilliant smile that stretched her pink lips and showed off her pearly whites. Shikamaru had to admit, she was a beautiful girl. Not sexy like Ino or Katumi, but beautiful non the less, she had a more natural look, very becoming of a wielder of natural chakra.

Suri blurted out a 'thank you!' before grabbing Shikamaru's arms and practically pulling him to the blacksmith's. It was a simple building made up of wood that lay on the outskirts of the small town. Suri pointed to an white haired hunched back, wrinkly old man resting in a big rocking chair in the shade of a big tree and said that he as the blacksmith, then she called out to him. When the old man saw Suri coming he hobbled out of his chair under a tree and greeted her with a hug and a smile. He told her what needed to be done and showed her the roof. It was old and weathered down and looked quite shabby, Suri said that she could rebuild the house for him, but the old man shook his head and said a new roof will be all he needed. Shikamaru wasn't too sure on how this girl planned to destroy and rebuild an entire house in a matter or hours, let alone a roof, but he said nothing and just watched from the side lines.

Once the old man gave Suri the thumbs up the same white chakra from before emitted from her hands as she place them on the walls of house. Shortly after the walls began to shimmer in white chakra and spread to hole in the roof. The hole then began to repair itself and eventually the hole had dissipated and was replaced with the same material as the rest of the roof. It looked like there had never been a hole in the first place. Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows in thought. It was an interesting justsu no doubt the Lady had not even woven a single sign to perform, nor was there any type of scroll for her to activate. He decided he old ask her after they left.

The old blacksmith thanked her several times and offered to reward her, but she just blushed and graciously denied his gifts. After few minutes of trying to persuade her to accept his reward, the man settled for bowing to her and giving her one last hug before they were on there way back into town. Once they were far enough down the path Shikamaru spoke up again.

"I'm Nara Shikamaru by the way." He said. Suri looked at him curiously and smiled.

"I'm Ontori Suri, nice to meet you." She said warmly.

"Same here." He replied. The conversation died out and after a few minutes of silence Shikamaru brought up what he was wanting to know earlier.

"May I ask how you did that without any hand signs or justsu scrolls?" He questioned politely.

"If you have an understanding of environmental science, physics, biology, and chemistry you can piece together how to manipulate the natural chakra in things to make them do what you want them to. So that's basically what I did, I forced water and earth chakra into the wood and forced it to do cellular division at a rapid pace, and it closed up the hole." She replied simply shrugging her shoulders as if it were obvious. Shikamaru snorted.

"That easy huh?" Suri glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"No it's not easy, I've been studying all my life and I still don't have a complete mastery on chakra manipulation!" The girl picked up her pace and stormed ahead of Shikamaru, he had clearly touched on a sore subject. Troublesome, these monastery women were too unpredictable with their emotions. He frowned and silently followed her through the village. It was getting late, he was sure that his team and the monastery residents were getting worried. Soon he'd have to tell Lady Suri that it was time to leave, but or now he thought it'd be easier to avoid that conflict for as long as possible.

**Thanks for reading please review! leave lots of comments and concerns please. thanks again!**


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